ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. rule — a law
  4. bulb — for light
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. present — there
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. stock — shares
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. present — the time now
  13. stock — goods
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. bulb — for light
  18. fork — in a road
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. hand — help
  21. present — a gift
  22. hand — in cards
  23. rule — government
  24. bat — the animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com